The absolutely electrical model of the XC40 SUV will now be referred to as the EX40, whereas its considerably lower-roof C40 Recharge counterpart will probably be referred to as the EC40, Volvo revealed Tuesday as a part of a brand new naming technique for its EVs and plug-in hybrids.
Amongst Volvo EVs, EX calls out electrical SUVs, just like the upcoming EX30 and EX90, EC will probably be used for electrical coupes (or coupe-like SUVs like the present EC40), and EM designates minivan fashions. Internationally, Volvo already has one of many latter—its massive EM90 luxurious electrical minivan for China.
![2025 Volvo EC40 (Europe spec) 2025 Volvo EC40 (Europe spec)](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2025-volvo-ec40-europe-spec_100918316_l.webp)
2025 Volvo EC40 (Europe spec)
Volvo simply gave the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge their most important overhaul since their late-2020 arrival. Most notably, the 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge switched to rear-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-biased all-wheel drive—making them not solely vastly extra environment friendly however faster and better-driving throughout.
Though the Recharge title wasn’t new to Volvo, it launched the badge to manufacturing fashions with the introduction of these EVs—and one other Idea Recharge pure-EV “manifesto” revealed on the time it made clear it’s going all-electric by 2030. The model at the moment additionally began making use of the badge to its plug-in hybrids, and on the time the rationale was that something with a cost port would bear the Recharge badging.
With the replace, Volvo has eliminated the Recharge badging from plug-in hybrid fashions. They’ll now be both T6 or T8, Volvo says, relying on energy output—signifying that as Volvo pushes towards all-EV, plug-in hybrids are primarily the brand new regular for individuals who nonetheless have to gasoline up a few of the time.
![Volvo ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept Volvo ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept](https://images.hgmsites.net/med/volvo-recharge-plug-in-hybrid-concept_100185692_m.jpg)
Volvo ReCharge plug-in hybrid idea
As EVs grew to become extra commonplace, the Recharge badging might have been a bit of troublesome to decipher shortly in some gross sales heaps, because it was utilized broadly throughout absolutely electrical and plug-in hybrid fashions. Volvo hasn’t held again on plug-in hybrid gross sales quantity in some states; two years in the past it already reported that 77% of California gross sales had a cost port.
Inexperienced Automobile Studies has reached out to Volvo for particulars on when this transformation will occur for U.S.-market EVs, and whether or not it is likely to be utilized any in another way for plug-in hybrids.